We had recently celebrated our 100th post here on the Graco Blog. We received a host of good suggestions and encouraging comments to Lindsay’s commemorative post on the subject. A truly nice moment. Then, conferring with Lindsay a day or so later on a different topic, she brought up some of the comments we’d received to that post – then explained that we’d like to improve (naturally), and be responsive (of course), and (blah, blah, blah). Sorry, lost focus at that point – I knew what was coming. She showed me a suggestion from Joeprah that said “you maybe could use some witty one-liners, ahem.”

So then she proceeded to tell me that she thought that with my sense of humor, my off-the-wall take on parenting, my being inappropriate, I would be to go-to guy who should take a stab at some witty one-liners (like I’m Jay Leno but with less hair, money and chin).

I told Lindsay I don’t know any jokes, I’m really not sure…INAPPROPRIATE!?! Hey, wait a minute….
JD: “What do you mean I’m inappropriate?”
LL: “Well, you know. You always say inappropriate things around the office - in meetings.”
JD: “I do? What’s inappropriate exactly?”
LL: (back peddling) “Um, well…but it’s always in a funny way – c’mon, you know how you always make comments that make people laugh but are ….”
JD: “Inappropriate?”
LL: “Exactly!”

So there it is – I’m inappropriate! I was okay with Lindsay’s sense of humor acknowledgment, even her “off-the-wall” assessment, but…INAPPROPRIATE? ME?!? I beg to differ. I may, from time to time, say what’s on my mind or offer a little too much information, but this is what I consider inappropriate:

• Your son belching at the dinner table. (unless it’s done at the in-laws, in which case trophies are awarded) That’s inappropriate!
• Your son calling you “Dude” and having to be reminded - it’s pronounced “Dad.”
That’s inappropriate! (one more time and I’m sending him for speech therapy)
• Your son somehow catching bees out in the backyard, bringing them in the house so they can get loose and make your wife scream. That’s inappropriate! (I’ve never heard another sound quite like that in the natural world, really)
• Your son lying down on the sidelines during a soccer game. That’s inappropriate!
(He said he was “pacing himself”)
• Your son, who has a black eye because of a wiffle ball you hit, tells the folks at child care that “My dad hit me” but leaves out the part about the wiffle ball just to watch you squirm. That’s inappropriate! (He did get extra-credit in school that day for the new phrase he learned: “Child Welfare”)

So to Joeprah (who is a terrific guy – turned me on to an awesome new camera), sorry, but I suppose the “witty one-liners” will have to wait. And to Lindsay, ol’ buddy, ol’ pal, you’ve got kids - so wait…just wait. Sooner or later, you’ll see some real definitions of inappropriate.

And one more thing, I just asked my son the other night if HE thought I was inappropriate. He said “Inappropriate? Nah, inapairo’ boxers-watchin’ Sports Center.”

Um…TMI, again?

Now I don’t want to make Jen and Jason feel bad, but I am really excited to introduce a new member of the Graco blog team – Amy Trice. Amy is one of the supervisors in our Consumer Services department. Yes- she is the one you might talk to if you get mad and say “Can I talk to your manager, please.” And with all of that on her plate (oh please, I just know she sits around twiddling her thumbs because we all know nobody ever complains about Graco!) she’s as sweet as can be. And more importantly than that, she is mom to “Slick”- her 19 month old son who clearly (from her stories) keeps her on her toes. Amy’s vast product knowledge and professionalism combined with her “I totally get what your saying” momness, is not only a great asset to Graco, but I think will be a cool addition to the blog team. I am hoping she will share some of her stories while answering some of the questions she hears all the time. Here’s Amy to tell you a little bit about herself…

As Lindsay mentioned, I am a supervisor in the Consumer Services department.  Customer service careers are certainly not for everyone. But, I love what I do. I enjoy speaking with consumers about their gear – even the irate ones. I also have the privilege of working with an awesome group of customer service reps. The amount of knowledge they possess is mind boggling and their passion for the business runs deep.

Outside of work, I work even harder trying to keep up with Slick. He has certainly changed my perspective on everything.

With the summer upon us, I am sure that people are reading tons of travel posts lately so I wanted to write about my road trip with my husband and PP to see my sister in Raleigh, NC. We have been traveling to NC every summer since before PP was born. Our first road trip with her was when she was 2 months old. At that point, we didn’t have to plan what time to leave since the baby would sleep all of the time (man, I miss those times!!). The only thing we had to worry about was finding a “clean” place to pull over in order to feed and change her when PP was screaming her head off (don’t miss those times).

So, this year we really had to be strategic on when to hit the road. We left around 8:00 PM so everyone’s bellies were full and so PP would be able to enjoy some of her hit shows on DVD (Little Einsteins, Care Bears, Curious George, etc). Things went really well for the drive down. PP peacefully fell asleep around 10:30 and only woke up one time around 1:00 AM then went back to sleep.

On the way back, we weren’t as successful. I had the bright idea of leaving at lunchtime so we could tire PP out at the park and could get back at a reasonable hour (one other highlight was that it would be during PP’s nap time). We narrowly missed 3 accidents on 95 so we sat in the residual traffic. PP decided to nap only an hour and realizes that she doesn’t like sitting in traffic–who does? So PP proceeds to kick her DVD player so the DVD ejects then finds this amusing to do. Amusement wears out & she starts screaming that she wants to get out. This continues on for about an hour and a half. I keep changing out her DVDs in the hope that she will settle down and watch. But, she wants to get out and is extremely clear about it. We are stuck in the middle of the highway with no where to go. She eventually does calm down and we get out at the next rest stop so we can all stretch our legs (and I get some Roy Rogers French Fries, which are my favorite) then the rest of the ride is pretty smooth.

All in all, we had an awesome time in Raleigh: we went to the NC Zoo, played at a super cool (and cheap) kids museuem called Marbles, swam at their community pool, played at the local park and spend quality time with Aunt Vicky and Uncle Map (real name is Matt but PP calls him Map from Dora the Explorer, which he actually likes). Lesson learned: Leave at nighttime!!!

The shirt says it all! What a hunky little dude!

This was one of “Stinker’s” first times on the swing at the park. He really hates the sun in his eyes hence the hat and glasses - na he’s really just too cool!

This little “Stinker” is the son of close family friend of  Heather Ward - Sr. Fashion Marketing Manager

Every Wednesday we’ll be sharing a photo showing off a little bit of wonder in the lives of our extended Graco family of customers, employees and friends.

You know that saying- “Never say never” ? That’s a phrase many-a-parent knows all too well. Because pre-kids, when the phrase “You think you know but you have no idea” is more appropriate, you make all kinds of statements about what you will and will not do as parents once you have kids. Well I muttered that phrase countless times before birthing my brood and here’s just one example of why I’m now eating crow…

Let me set the scene- I am 7 months pregnant with my daughter B and I am vacationing “down the shore” with my husband’s family (as we do every year). The ladies of the shore house are shopping (I use that term lightly- we were in a glorified drug store that oddly distributes Christmas ornaments, baby clothes, plumbing supplies and hula hoops) and my mother has joined us.

Me: (disgustedly pointing to a door plaque that says “Shhh… Princess Sleeping) I hate Princess stuff. It’s so …. gross.

Mother-in-law: (making mental note to check every baby girl item she has stashed away since she heard “it’s a girl!”) “Oh yeah? “Why’s that?”

Me: “I don’t know. I guess I really don’t want a princessy daughter. I don’t want to spoil her and make her feel entitled to anything.”

My mom: (giving the ever slight, almost didn’t notice, eye-roll) “What do you mean?”

Me: “I just don’t want to treat her like a princess and then have her grow up thinking she is one - that’s all.  Just don’t get me anything like this, OK?

MIL and Mom: (exchanging “yeah, I know” glances) OK….

(the next day the family held a surprise shower for me. After going through all the gifts (unwrapping and rewrapping some) no princess wear or presents were discovered! Whew!)

Fast forward to today. I am the mother of a little princess. And not because I buy t-shirts emblazoned with “Princess” on them or because B even acts like a princess (in fact we call her Dirtmiezer which was her dad’s nickname growing up) but because I want to treat her like a princess. (Oh yeah- this took me by surprise, too) I don’t want my daughter to act like a princess, I don’t want her to ever think she deserves to be treated like a princess and generally I don’t like stuff that even says princess (usually because it’s also bedazzled with pink rhinestones).

But what I do find, is in the quiet of her room, late at night, sleeping in her way-too-big girl bed- I call her my little princess as I run my finger along her cheek. It sneaks past my lips before I can catch it because that’s just how I feel about her. I want to give her everything she wants, everything she deserves and I want to dote on her every whim- just like you would a little princess, I guess. I’m outing myself as the mom of a princess but I think we’re just redefining the word at our house.

Your name says so much about you. How many times have you heard this statement? Well, when you are in the process of naming an unborn child – that statement preoccupies your every thought. You find yourself completely obsessed with finding the “perfect name”. My husband & I are expecting our 2nd child and we are going through the name game. We have had a lot of fun with it. I created a bracket (similar to the NCAA Basketball tournament) Boys on one side and Girls on the other side. Which names would make it to the “sweet sixteen” or even better the “final four”? That helps…but then you start reflecting on the name criteria.

Here are the criteria that my husband & I have submitted:
• We BOTH have to like it (which at times, seems impossible)
• The name has to work with Lefko
• Either the first or middle name need to have some family significance
• And finally – we want it to be strong & unique but not treading on strange. (my husband always compares the unique names to “Apple”)

Our criteria are quite traditional and simple.
Currently, the family significance is the one that seems to be the toughest. My parents were in town recently and we were interrogating them for a little family history lesson to find that perfect fix. I’m convinced the 12 nieces & nephews on my side make this a little more challenging as some great family significant names have already been taken.

We love our boy options but are struggling with the family name for a little girl. I thought I would give a little glimpse into my family tree – what would you go with?
Hazel
Hadey
Sutton
Ada
Maude
Marjory
Edith

Do you feel our pain?

Any suggestions?

The Blogosphere is such an amazing way, for people the world over, to connect with each other. There is rarely an expanse that the internet can’t bridge and make two people, who live seemingly a world apart, feel close. The internet opens the whole world to us, yet interacting within this community can make the saying “it’s a small world” incredibly true. That was certainly the case when I came across “Classy Mommy.”  Colleen of Classy Mommy realized that Graco headquarters was right down the street from her – how funny is that? Well I started reading her blog and I saw her gathering some local Philly bloggers to try and meet in person. Well I butted my little hieny (that’s mom speak- I can say that now and not feel silly) in there and invited myself to her party. Well one thing led to another and we had this. (if you follow that link you’ll see a Philly blogger party recap- which Graco co-hosted!)

Here are all the reasons the unofficial Philly Graco Get-Together was officially awesome:

- These ladies were in full effect:
Colleen - Classy Mommy
Sarah- Water, Water Everywhere
Amy - Occupation Mommy
Beth- Total Mom Haircut
Margie - Gunning It
Jo-Lynne - Musings of a Housewife
Kim - Situationally Single
Whitney - Mommies with Style
Mel - Life is Like a Box of Chocolates
Melissa - GirlyMama
Katia - Freeform Katia
Amy - Crazy, but the cool kind
Sarah - Genesis Moments
Kris - SparklyKatt

- It was at Buca di Beppo which is 5 minutes from our office (that wasn’t meant to rub it in Mel- I know it took you 4 hours to get there but I didn’t choose the restaurant!)
- The dessert tray was too heavy to lift so they had to put it on the huge lazy susan just so we could take stabs at it as it came around. D-lish!
- I sat next to Margie who happened to grow up near me in Maryland. And graduated the same year of high school as me. And her 3 year old son’s name was the same as my 3 year old son’s name. And she lives near me! (and she was ready to pop -meaning she was due any day! Everytime she moved we all got a little scared!)
- We squeezed 18 of us around a table in the “Pope Room” and chatted non-stop for the next 3 hours
- Colleen brought goody bags and flowers for everyone (including us!)
- Graco had 2 door prizes- Nautilus car seats, which we made the bloggers work to win.
- Everyone went around the table and introduced themselves, told us when and why they started to blog, and they talked a little bit about their blog. I found that to be incredibly interesting.
- And best of all - - we ended with “We must do this again!”

I’m confident we will get together again and until we do, I’ll just follow their every move on Twitter! Thanks for a great time ladies!

Before Hercules was born I had a number of fears about “Baby #2″ and her big brother, Boog.  However, now that she’s almost 11 weeks old I can say that I feel extremely fortunate with Baby #2.  She eats.  She sleeps.  Did I mention that she sleeps?  Oh.  And she doesn’t cry much. Yeah!!!  Definitely a big change from her brother, Boog, who cried a LOT and didn’t sleep much as a result (he did eat well though).

I’m not sure if she’s just a better baby or if her Dad and I are just more relaxed, and that our mood has rubbed off on her.  Either way, I’ll take it!  One major fear of Baby #2 demolished!

Another fear I had was Boog’s reaction to Hercules.  Would he resent her?  Would he throw things at her?  Would he regress and become extra clingy with his Dad and I?  Luckily, none of these things has happened.  Actually, the opposite has.  He’s become a huge helper (he shares his disgusting dirty stuffed animals, “helps” put her hat on, and even protects her from the kids at daycare who swarm around the baby when I enter the room (“No.  No.  Baby sleeping,” he tells them)

I guess the only fear I had that came true is how quickly time is flying by.  Seriously, I’m not sure how it’s 8:30am one minute and then suddenly 5pm the next.  And during that time I started about eight things I wanted to get accomplished only to have them all about one-quarter completed.  And how is it possible that my little newborn is now 10 weeks old and starting to look like a real baby and not just a newborn?

Now that I’ve accepted the fact that I won’t get as much done, my next fear is “What the heck will I do when I go back to work?” How will I EVER get out the door on time?  If I can’t get stuff done now what will happen when I work?  Will I be able to function at work with so little sleep?

I don’t know the answers, but I know plenty of other Moms do it (and do it well!) so I have to trust these fears will be for nothing too.  I’ll manage somehow, I’m sure.  I have a feeling that it will take me awhile to find the balance that makes me feel like I’m a successful Mom and business person, but I’ll get there.  I did before and I will again.  And at the end of the day I know that as long as I have my “baby time” and “kid time” I’ll be happy.

Adorable, blue-eyed “Gracie” was having a nice little walk in the park when she stumbled upon this scene - and this is how it unfolded (according to her dad Larry, a sales rep here at Graco)

On a beautiful day one Sunday afternoon, we were walking through a local park and my daughter became very captivated by this statue of a woman reading a book. She approached very cautiously and was probably expecting it to move or talk to her. After just a minute or two, she felt comfortable enough to want to sit down beside the statue on the ledge. I really enjoy her moments of discovery because it feels like I’m discovering the world along with her.

Every Wednesday we’ll be sharing a photo showing off a little bit of wonder in the lives of our extended Graco family of customers, employees and friends.

Well it’s 2 down and 2 to go! (Graco blogger baby births, that is)  This time it was Kristin DeLoach who gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby girl (who they are still calling “BrotherSister” for the blog- don’t be concerned - I know the real name and I can assure you, it is much cuter!) last Monday, June 9th.  BrotherSister weighed in at 7 lbs. 13 oz. and 20.5 inches and has the trademark DeLoach beautiful blue eyes.  I’m sure she is batting them already just to avoid getting in trouble since she was a week late! 

Our Congratulations and Best Wishes go out to Kristin and her family at this exciting time! 

Oh - and not to take away from the birth of Baby DeLoach, but I just received this e-mail birth announcement from a good friend of mine who’s daughter was born yesterday - it made me spit out my coffee so I thought it was worth sharing:

Baby “Molly”
Born: 06/16/2008 11:30 am
Wt: 7lbs 2oz
Lg: 20in
Baby’s volume: loud to extra loud
Cuteness level: off the chart
Hug-ability: approaching boa constrictor
Kiss-ability: lip chapping - bring carmex
Mom is in excellent spirits and will soon be heading to her room; Molly is heading to the nursery to feed her spirits; I will be heading to “The Still” to lift some spirits, wife permitting.

Congrats to Sean and his family as well!